A Family on the Front Lines
by WindyCity96
Summary: (Part 11 of the Romanogers Soulmate Series) For the Rogers family, danger is always right around the corner. And there is no greater danger in the universe than Thanos.
1. Chapter 1

_"Another win for the good guys!" Tony Stark grinned triumphantly as the Avengers returned to their towering headquarters in New York, having once again saved the world from certain doom. "How many wins does that make now? Twenty?"_

_ "I daresay I have lost count," Thor confessed "But that doesn't make the taste of victory anymore satisfying."_

_ "No argument there. Time to celebrate," the billionaire decied "Who's up for drinks?"_

_ "Sorry Tony," Steve apologized "But some of us have kids to get home to."_

_ "Boo!" Tony jeered "You guys can't tell the babysitter to stay one more hour?"_

_ "It's December first," Natasha reminded "We promised the kids we'd start decorating."_

_ "And not all of us live just outside of the city," Clint commented._

_ Tony sighed. "I swear, parenting has you all a real buzzkill."_

"_You won't say that when you're a father," Steve warned. _

"_Dude, I just got married," the billionaire reminded "A little early to think about kids, don't you think?"_

"_Speak for yourself," Thor scoffed "I've been trying to convince Jane to have children for months. But she still wants to wait. I'm fifteen hundred years old," the prince reminded "I can't wait forever."_

"_Give it time, Thor. It'll happen for you. For all of you," Natasha added, glancing at Bruce, who had yet to find his soulmate. "We'll tell the kids you said hi."_

_The soldier and the spy walked hand in hand with the archer towards the hangar._

"_Your kids give their lists yet?" Clint asked._

"_Probably working on them as we speak," Steve chuckled._

"_Enjoy the fact that they still like toys. All my kids want are video games and smartphones. I'll tell Lauran and the kids you said hi," the archer promised as he boarded a Quinjet._

_Steve and Natasha climbed into their dark blue SUV and drove off, the Black Widow smiling softly as they passed through the busy streets, watching the stores begin setting up for the Christmas season. Eventually they made their way to Staten Island, where they parked in front of a large house made of old weathered brick._

_Natasha smiled. "Home sweet home."_

"_Be it ever so humble," Steve commented._

_The soldier and the spy smiled as they walked inside, the Black Widow letting a contented sigh as she took off her shoes, allowing her feet to feel the cool dark wood floors in the entrance hallway._

_"Kids!" Steve shouted "We're home."_

_Natasha's heart filled with joy as two children came running into view, a little boy with bright red hair and bright blue eyes and a blonde girl with soft green eyes, wearing dark jeans and matching red sweaters. The Black Widow grinned as her daughter jumped into her arms, giggling wildly as Natasha picked her up while Steve did the same with their son._

"_Did you stop the bad guys, Mama?" the little girl asked._

"_We sure did baby," Natahsa confirmed with a smile "Were you two good for the babysitter?"_

"_Practically angels," Wanda Maximoff commented as she walked into view "Santa Claus is a powerful incentive for good behavior."_

"_Mom, Dad? Can Wanda stay for dinner?" the little boy asked "Please?"_

"_I'd love to. But Vis and I have to start decorating our own apartment before Pietro covers the whole thing in tinsel. But I promise to come visit soon," The Macimoff sister vowed, noticicing the disappointed look on the children's faces._

_As the second female Avenger walked out, Natasha glanced down at her her children's faces and asked. "Are you two ready to start decorating?"_

"_Yes!" they said together, instantly replacing their sadness with excitement. _

_The soldier and the spy followed their children into the living room, where they found all the boxes containing the family Christmas decorations in the of the floor._

_Steve chuckled. "Guess it's a good thing we didn't work late." The super soldier walked over to his record player by the couch, skimming through the vinyl collection before playing a Frank Sinatra Christmas album. "Let's get to it."_

_The Rogers family quickly got to work covering the house in holiday cheer, spreading, hanging wreaths and lights all across the living room._

"_Freeze soldier." Steve demanded as he spotted his son dragging a wood axe across the floor "Where do you think you're going with that?"_

"_To chop down a Christmas tree."_

_Steve chuckled at the little boy's bravado. "I'll do the chopping. But you can pick it out."_

"_You said I could chop down the Christmas tree when I was bigger," the little boy reminded "I'm way bigger than I was last year."_

"_Sorry, son. You need to be a bit bigger until you chop down a tree."_

"_How will I know when I'm big enough?"_

"_When you can drive a car," Natasha answered "We'll pick out a tree later. If we get one now, it won't make it to Christmas."_

"_Can we make a snowman?" The little girl asked excitedly._

_Natasha glanced at her husband and smiled. "I don't see why not."_

_The Black Widow and Captain America helped their children into their cats and led them out to the backyard, the mother and daughter building a snowman while Steve and their son constructed a snow fort._

_"Mama, are we going to see the Nutcracker again?" The little girl asked._

_"We sure are, baby. Your daddy and I bought the tickets after Halloween. Are you excited for Uncle Tony's party?" Natasha's words were cut short when a snowball hit her shoulder, looking back to see Steve and their son poking their heads out from under the walls of their fort._

"_Direct hit!" the little boy cheered._

"_Oh, you two are so in for it!" Natasha shouted. The Balck Widow and her daughter quickly got to work crafting snowballs, throwing them at the boys as fast as they could. "No fair!" Natasha shouted as her husband used his shield to defend their son as he returned fire._

"_Not my fault you weren't ready?" Steve justified._

_They went on like that for hours, the Rogers family throwing snowballs at each other back and forth until the sun went down._

_After getting the kids cleaned up and into their pajamas, Steve and Natasha made hot chocolate and put on __A Christmas Carol,__ watching it together as a family until the children fell asleep._

"_How long until they realize that they didn't give us their Christmas lists?" Natasha asked._

"_I'd say first thing tomorrow morning," Steve assumed._

_The Black Widow and Captain America picked up their children and took them upstairs, the former Russian spy carrying her daughter into her room._

"_Mama?" the little girl looked up to her mother with sleep filled eyes "Do you know what you want Santa Claus to bring you for Christmas?"_

_"Mama doesn't write to Santa anymore baby," Natasha said wit ha content smile "I already have everything I could ever ask for."_

* * *

Natasha's eyes snapped open as her dream came to an end, her hands naturally drifting to her stomach as she sat up in bed. She was pregnant again. She could feel it. But as excited as she was, the timing was terrible.

For the past ten months, Steve, Sam, Wanda and Natasha had been in the employment of Wakanda, traversing the globe for lost pieces of vibranium. Ever since the Black Panther had revealed the secret of his nation's power, terrorists and war mongers had been searching for any remnant of the nearly indestructible metal, hoping to unlock its secrets for their own dark ambitions. It wasn't easy work, but it was honest. And it kept people out of harm's way. And, in some ways, it reminded her of the way things were before. Before the Accords. Before the Avengers fell apart. But things were very different now. And to be honest, Natasha wouldn't turn the clock back even if she could.

The Black Widow stayed silent as she climbed out of bed, walking across the room to the small crib in the corner, where a baby boy with naturally red hair and bright blue eyes in a powder blue onesie with a teddy bear face on the chest, trying to climb his way over the bars. Sixteen month-old James Samuel Rogers.

"What are you doing up?" Natasha asked, smiling as she took her son in her arms "What are you doing up so late, baby bear? Are you waiting for Wanda to come home?"

She was James' favorite person outside of his parents, never failing to bring a smile to his face.

"Wa-Wa," the baby answered, still learning to say the Maximoff girl's name.

"Yeah, I miss her too. But she'll be back," Natasha promised "Wanda just needs some time with her special friend."

Not long after the Accords, Wanda started sneaking off to visit her soulmate from time to time, a situation Steve and Natasha reluctantly agreed to after they learned it was the Vision.

"Do you want to know a secret? Mama's going to have a baby," Natasha whispered with a widening smile "You're going to be a big brother. You want to help me tell Daddy?" she asked, carrying her child into the living room of their apartment. They had been staying in Budapest for the past few weeks, in one of her and Clint's old safe houses.

Sam Wilsom lay fast asleep on the couch, having agreed to let Wanda and the Rogers family claim the only bedrooms, his arms dangling over either side as he snored softly. And at the table, with a half a dozen files in front of him, was a bearded Steve Rogers, sleeping with his chin in his hand.

"Dada night-night." James commented.

"Yeah, Daddy did go night-night," Natasha confirmed "You want to wake him up?" she asked, placing James in his father's lap.

"Dada," The baby repeated, gently tugging on his father's beard, causing him to wake up "Dada."

"Hey son," Steve greeted with a smile, "What are you doing up?"

"He misses Wanda," Natasha told him.

"She should be back by now," Steve commented, glancing at his watch, his eyes widening as he noticed the red and blue flame surrounding his wife. "Are you?"

Natasha nodded.

Steve's voice filled excitement as he asked. "Little Natasha?"

"Little Natasha."

The soldier and spy grinned as they shared an excited kiss, the sweet sensation causing Steve's heart to race and Natasha's hair stand on end, only to pull away when they heard a phone ring. The phone. Steve's voice became caught in his throat as he pulled it out of his pocket, knowing that only one man had this number. The soldier took a deep breath as he brought the phone to his ear.

"Tony?"Steve's face sifted into a confused expression as he heard the voice on the other end of the call "Bruce?"

Natasha's eyes widened. Was Bruce Banner really back?

Steve quickly shifted from confusion to dread. "We'll find them," Steve promised, right before he hung up the phone. "We need to leave," he told Natasha "Now."

"Steve, what's going on?" she asked "Was that really Bruce?"  
But he didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed their go bags from the loose floorboards. "Wanda said she was meeting Vision in Scotland, right?"

"I think so. Why?"

Once again, Steve ignored her, marching over to the couch to rise the Falcon from his sleep. "Sam. Sam," the soldier repeated, shaking his friend almost violently until he opened his eyes "Wake up. We have to go. We need to protect Wanda and Vision. Now," Steve emphasized.

"Why?" Natasha repeated "Steve, what is going on?"

"That." The man once known as Captain America turned on the tiny TV in front of the couch, allowing Sam and Natasha to see the new story on every channel: _Tony Stark dies driving back alien invaders._

James recognized him instantly. The shiny red and gold man that Mama and Daddy loved to watch on TV.

"He didn't get them all." Steve felt a lump form in his throat as he stared at the video footage, watching Iron Man battle two aliens twice his size "They're coming back."

* * *

"I thought we had a deal." Natasha Romanoff stood on her family's stolen Quinjet as they left Scotland, having barely rescued Wanda and Vision from the children of Thanos. "Stay close, check in. Don't take any chances," she emphasized giving the younger woman a glare.

"I'm sorry," Wanda apologized "We just wanted time."

"Wa-Wa."

The last of the Maximoff twins smiled as James called out her name, the baby reaching out to her from his highchair in the corner of jet.

"Hi sweetie! Hi," Wanda repeated, grinning warmly as she took the baby into her arms, causing him to smile "I missed you so much."

The baby's smile wavered as he noticed the slash of blood on her face. "Owie."

"Yeah, Wanda did get an owie. It's just a small one. Aw," The second female Avenger smiled as the baby pressed a gentle kiss to her temple "Thank you, sweetie. I feel so much better now. I have someone for you to meet. James, this is Vision," Wanda introduced, sitting down next to the injured android "Vis, this James."

"Hullo James," the android smiled weakly as the baby stared at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Owie."

"Yes," The Vision winced as he gripped the gaping wound in his side "I suppose I have an awfully big owie."

"That's why we're taking him home," Wanda explained "To make him better."

James frowned as Vision took Wanda's hand in his, reaching down and pulling them apart. "My Wa-Wa!" The baby snapped, causing his parents' jaws to drop and Sam to laugh.

"Excuse me?" Wanda asked with a giggle "I don't belong to you."

"Looks like you got some competition Vis," Sam warned.

"It would seem so," the android chuckled.

"You listen to me James Rogers," Wanda instructed, turning the baby so she could look him in the eye "I am allowed to have other friends besides you."

"No!" the baby argued "Wa-Wa mine!"

"Give me my kid," Natasha told Wanda, taking her baby in her arms "He's too young to get his heart broken."

The Vision gave his soulmate a teasing smile as she sat down next to him. "Should I be jealous?"

"Shut up."

Natasha's eyes widened as Wanda and Vision shared a kiss, causing James to burst into tears. "What did I just say about breaking his heart?"

* * *

"Well you two have been busy." Secretary Ross scowled as Captain America and his team walked into the Avengers facility, his eyes widening as he spotted the baby in Natasha's arms. "If you think all is forgiven,"

"I'm not looking for forgiveness," Steve interrupted "And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost her best defender," he reminded, trying to ignore the pain in his chest from the loss of Tony Stark "So we're here to fight. And if you stand in our way," the soldier's voice became surprisingly dark as he promised "we'll fight you too."

Sam's eyes widened slightly as James started babbling furiously, right before blowing an angry raspberry in the secretary's direction. "I don't speak rugrat, but I'm pretty sure Cap Jr. just cussed you out."

Ross was unimpressed. "Arrest them," he told Rhodey, causing James to yell louder as he attempted climbed out of his mother's arms.

"Bahd mahn," James snapped as Rhodey hung up the holocall "Bahd mahn."

"That's right baby," Natasha smiled she raised her son high in the air "You scared the bad man away."

"Kid's tough," Rhodey commented "LIke his parents." The War Machine smiled as the baby took hold of his finger, "What's your name, little man?"

"James," Natasha answered "This is your Uncle Rhodey," she whispered into her baby's ear, smiling as he started to suck on the War Machine's thumb "He likes you."

"Of course he does. We have the same name." Rhodey felt a knot form in his stomach he imagined what this baby had been through: bouncing from place to place, never knowing if his mother and father were going to make it home "These last couple years must've been rough."

Sam shrugged. "Not all the hotels were five star."

"I think you look great."

Natasha looked up at the sound of a familiar voice, one he had not heard in a very long time. "Hi Bruce."

The gamma scientist played with his hands nervously. "Hey Nat. C,Cap." Bruce backed away as the super soldier walked towards him, desperately wishing that Hulk hadn't decided to an extended leave of absence "Nothing happened between me and her," he said quickly gesturing between himself and Natahsa "I'm sure she told you that nothing happened. I just wanted you heard from me that nothing happened. Because nothing happened," he repeated "For the record, if I had that she was your, that your were her, that you two were, I-I never would've,"

"It's good to see you Bruce," Steve said with a genuine smile.

"Uh, you too." Bruce blinked rapidly as he tried to process the peacefulness of the First Avenger's words. "Sorry I missed the wedding."

* * *

"Where's Clint?" Bruce asked, after explaining the entire situation to the gathered Avengers "We need all hands for this one."

"After the Accords, he and Scott took a plea deal," Natasha explained, rocking her baby back and forth as Steve set up James' highchair "For the sake of their families."

"Who's Scott?"

"Ant-Man," Steve answered.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?" he asked, causing Steve to nod as he gave Natasha the baby bag off his shoulder. Bruce still could hardly believe that Captain America and the Black Widow were parents. "Bottom line, we need a place to defend Vision. Thanos is coming."

"Then perhaps there is a better solution. I have been thinking a great deal about this," Vision commented, tapping the Mind Stone with his finger "And I believe that an intense energy of a similar makeup may be able to destabilize its structural integrity."

Wanda felt her stomach sink to her knees as she realized what her soulmate was implying. "We are not having this conversation."

Vision winced as he put his hands on Wanda's shoulders. "Our best course of action to defeat Thanos is to destroy the stone."

"And you with it?"

"The cost of one life cannot be worth the same as trillions."

"But it should be," Steve gave the android a sorrowful expression as he reminded "We aren't in the business of trading lives, Vision."

"Captain seventy years ago, you laid down your life for the safety of millions. How is this any different?"

"Because Steve didn't have a choice," Bruce answered "You might. Your mind is made up of a complex system of overlays. Tony, the stone, Ultron, me. If we can remove the stone,"

"Is that even possible?" Natasha asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure. But if we can, even without the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Maybe even the best parts. But I can't do it," Bruce informed, noticing the looks on his friends' faces "At least not here."

"I think I know a place," Steve offered "Wakanda."

"You want to take Vision to a third would country in Africa?"

"Turns out Wakanda's been pulling a fast one on us," Rhodey informed "They've been sitting on a mountain of vibranium since day one."

"And the king's sister is a genius," Wanda added "If anyone can figure out how to get the stone out of Vis, it's her."

"Dada."

Steve turned around as he heard his son call out for him, the baby James' face covered in mashed bananas as his mother cleaned him up, pointing to a picture on a high shelf. Curious, the soldier furrowed his brow as he walked over to the shelf, his heart cracking slightly as he saw what his son was looking at: a picture of the original Avengers.

It was taken the day Tony finished the renovations on the Tower, inviting Steve, Thor, Natasha and Clint to stay as long they wanted, the six of them standing on the balcony, smiling as they remembered how they all came together. The soldier picked up the picture and sat with the rest of his family, allowing James and Natasha to see it.

"You like this picture, son?" he asked, smiling as the baby palmed the frame with his tiny hands "Yeah, me too."

"Dada," James repeated, pointing to Steve's face in photo, and then Natasha's "Mama."

"That's right, baby. That's Mama and Daddy," Natasha confirmed, "And that's your Uncle Bruce," she added, pointing to the scientist's face "and this," the Black Widow took the baby's tiny hand in hers and directed it to the face of her oldest friend "is your Uncle Clint. He and Mama used to play together all over the world. But he had to go home and take care of his babies." Natasha ran a gentle hand through her child's hair as she whispered "I really hope you get to meet him one day."

"Now this is your Uncle Thor," Steve continued, gesturing to the thunder god and then the billionaire genius "and your Uncle Tony. I'm sorry you won't get to meet them," he croaked out as his grief slowly got the better of him.

He still couldn't believe they were gone. Thor was one of those people who mocked death, jumping blindly into the biggest horde of enemies he could find. But time revealed that Thor never mocked death, he challenged it. Drove it back whenever he could to keep it from claiming innocents with his pure might. And Tony, Tony just always seemed...invincible. He survived that cave in Afghanistan. He survived flying a nuke into space and a robot army of his own making.

"Dada," James repeated in a concerned tone, wiping a tear from his father's eye.

Steve gave his son a gentle kiss before he cleared his throat. "We better get moving," he said, picking James up and heading for the hangar "We don't have a lot of time."

* * *

"He wanted me to fight you."

Bruce looked up from his seat as Steve spoke to him, the soldier having finally broken his somber silence since stepping on the jet. "Who?"

"Thor," Steve answered "The night Ultron attacked, he told me to fight you for Nat. 'Take my hammer,' he said 'Bash his big green skull in.'"

Natasha's eyes widened slightly. "Thor offered to lend you his hammer?"

Steve nodded. "Said that fate wouldn't let me die until I got my happily ever after with my soulmate. He knew we would make it even when I didn't."

Natasha brought a hand to her husband's shoulder, realizing that he was trying to grieve as much as he could before the fight. "Do you remember when Tony found out about us?"

"Yeah," Steve said with a chuckle "Thought I was going to die of embarrassment. He made up for it with the wedding, though."

"Oh definitely," Natasha confirmed, smiling softly as she remembered one of the best days of her life "He probably set aside ten times as much for his own wedding."

"They should've been married sooner." Steve felt a knife twist in his stomach as he remembered "Tony knew he wanted to marry Pepper after helping us plan our wedding. But he was afraid. So I talked after we got back from our honeymoon and it turns out, he had already bought her a ring. Back in 2008."

Bruce was stunned. "You're telling me that Tony Stark, billionaire playboy, carried an engagement ring in his pocket for nearly ten years?"

"Tough on the outside, soft on the inside. Just like Thor." Steve's eyes drifted to the floor as he thought of Thor and Tony's final moments, fighting to their last breaths against the army of Thanos. "They were my brothers," he realized, the final words getting caught in his throat "And I never told them."

"They knew Steve," Natasha whispered as she took his hand "They knew."

"Hey Cap," Sam called from the cockpit "We're about to land."

The soldier nodded, taking a sharp breath as he fought to keep his tears at bay. Steve didn't know if T'Challa's sister could find a way to save Vision, but he knew one thing: One way or another, Steve would make Thanos pay for what he did to his brothers.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve walked off the jet with a small duffel bag over his shoulder and his family by his side, smiling warmly as he shook hands with T'Challa, king of Wakanda and the Black Panther. "Seems like I'm always asking you for a favor."

"What we do today, we do for the fate of the world," T'Challa justified. The king of Wakanda smiled as he spotted the baby in Natasha's arms "I see the little cub as he returned to the land of his birth."

James grinned as the king took him into his arms "Roar!"

"Roar!" T'Challa repeated with a chuckle "Hey," The king gave the baby a warning smile as he reached for the hairs on his face "How many times must I tell you not to touch the king's beard?"

"He does that with everybody," Steve chuckled "We were hoping you had somewhere safe to keep him."

"Of course. I will have the Dora keep a watchful eye on him," T'Challa promised, handing the baby back to his mother "As for the upcoming battle, you will have the Dora Milaje, the royal guard, the boarder tribe."

"And one semi-stable hundred year-old man."

The first Avenger's smile widened as the Winter Soldier came into view, now known to the children of the Wakanda as the White Wolf. Steve smiled as he pulled his best friend into a warm hug. "How've you been, Buck?"

"Not bad," Bucky said with a shrug "Since it's the end of the world."

"Buck-Buck!"

"Hey buddy!" The White Wolf smiled as he took the baby James into his arms "It's good to see you again. Oh man," Bucky smiled as the started to suck on the fingers of his mechanical arm "I just got this arm."

* * *

"You know those aren't accurate." Steve found Natasha sitting with James in the corner of Shuri's lab, the Black Widow reading her sleepy-eyed son a story from a book of old Norse myths. Steve had seen that book before. Jane had brought it to the Tower one day to show Thor, the prince of Asgard becoming deeply offended when he learned how time had eroded the details of his earliest adventures.

Natasha shrugged. "I wanted something to remember him by. And it's not like the versions Thor told us were child-friendly. I remember when Thor first told me about the Valkyries," she recalled "Asgard's all-female fighting force. He actually thought I was one," The Black Widow cracked a smile "That's when I knew I liked him. Nice gloves," Natasha commented, noticing the shield gauntlets on Steve's arms.

"Shuri made them. She said she could make something for you too."

"I'm good," Natasha commented, glancing down at the green kevlar vest over her suit.

Steve wanted to suggest that she stay here with James, far away from all the danger. But he knew all that would get him was a tongue lashing. Besides, they made a promise. Army of Two. "We better get going."

"I know." The Black Widow sighed as she set her son in his vibranium mesh playpen. "Mama and Daddy have to go to work now, baby. But we'll be back soon," Natasha promised "And Wanda is going to keep you company until we get back."

"Not just Wanda."

Natasha's eyes widened as Steve finally revealed what was in the bag: a familiar red and gold helmet.

"Your uncle Tony is going to keep an eye on you too." Steve didn't know why he took the helmet when he left the facility. Until now. "He's your guardian angel now. And he will keep you safe whenever we can't."

"And your Uncle Thor," Natasha added, placing the book in the baby bag.

James' face lit up as his father placed the helmet in the playpen, staring at his reflection in the red and gold metal. "Tony."

Steve nearly drowned in his grief as he watched his son play with the billionaire's helmet. James would have no memories of Tony. Or Thor. Never watch Iron Man craft his latest armor. Or watch the god of thunder emerge from the light of the Bifrost bridge. Never go half-deaf listening to Tony's rock music. Never eat through every Pop Tart in the house with Thor. Never get a handmade birthday present from Iron Man. Never hear of the glorious Asgard from the prince of thunder. Nothing.

Steve glanced up as he heard a loud boom, looking out to see three giant ships a landing in a field just outside the city.

* * *

"Where's your friend?" Natasha stood at the edge of the Wakandan barrier with Steve and the T'Challa, the aliens that attacked them in Scotland glaring at the heroes from the other side.

"You will join him soon enough," the female one promised. "Hand over the stones, and by the word of Thanos, your deaths will be quick."

"You are in Wakanda. Thanos will nothing but ash," the Black Panther promised "and blood."

"So be it," the female alien scoffed, turning around to rejoin her army.

As the Avengers did the same, Bucky glance at his oldest friend and asked "Did they surrender?"

"Not exactly," Steve commented. As the aliens began to rush the barrier, Steve reached over and took his wife's hand, right before T'Challa gave the order to open the barrier.

* * *

"Wa-Wa."

Wanda drew her eyes away from the window of Shuri's lab as the baby James called out to her, his face covered in fear of the sounds of war as he reached up with his tiny arms.

"Come here sweetie. Come here." The sole surviving Maximoff twin reached down and took the baby into her arms, gently bouncing him up and down as he buried his face in his in her chest. "There's a lot of monsters outside huh?" she asked, whispering softly into his ear "Don't worry. I won't let them hurt you." The second female Avenger placed a gentle kiss on the baby's cheek "I promise."

* * *

The battle for the universe did not start well. For every alien the Avengers and the armies of Wakanda put down, ten more seemed to take their place. But they kept fighting, they needed to but Shuri as much time as they could.

Natasha's heart stopped as her world turned black and white, her body becoming unbearable hot as she spotted Steve across the battlefield, the super soldier now lying in the dirt as the alien dogs surrounded him. She tried to reach him, she tried to shoot the dogs that were attacking him. But there were too many.

That's when he arrived. Racing in on the light of the Bifrost, wearing a black suit of Asgardian armor, holding an axe three times the size of his hammer, standing side by side with a gun-toting raccoon and a humanoid tree. Thor.

Bruce laughed. "You guys are so screwed now!"

Thor snarled as he glared at the alien army, the clouds above rumbling with thunder as the god bellowed. "Bring. Me. THANOS!"

* * *

"He's alive. You're Uncle Thor's alive, James." Wanda said with a hopeful smile, "He came to help us stop the monsters."

James stared in awe at the battle down below, watching a sentient thunderstorm cut through every alien in his path. "Tor."

* * *

Steve stood side by side with Thor on the battlefield, the first Avenger and the god of thunder tearing through the alien invaders one by one "New haircut," Steve noticed.

"Noticed you've copied by beard," Thor said with a chuckle "By the way, this is a friend of mine, Tree."

Steve's eyes widened as Thor pointed to a humanoid plant, having skewered at least half a dozen aliens with one arm. "I am Groot," he said.

"I am Steve Rogers."

_BANG!_

The three heroes whipped their heads around as they heard the sound of a gunshot, where they found the Black Widow standing over an alien with as bullet its head, its lifeless claws less than an inch away from Steve foot.

"Thank you darling," Steve told his wife gratefully, right before he slammed his fist into an alien's face.

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

"Lady Rogers!" Thor's eyes lit up as he cleaved two aliens in half with his axe "So good to see you again."

"We missed you too, Thor." Natasha whipped one of her batons off her back and clubbed across one of the alien's jaws, right before she shot three bullets into its chest "Did you tell him about James?" she asked Steve.

"Not yet."

"Who's James?" Thor asked, blasting two aliens away with a bolt of lightning.

"Our baby."

"You have a child?" Thor's eyes widened as he realized "I am an uncle?"

"You sure are," Steve confirmed with a smile "and we have another baby on the way."

"This is literally the best news I've heard all week! But wait," Thor's excited smile faded away as he asked "if your wife is with child, why is she here on the battlefield instead of watching your baby in a heavily guarded tower?"

"Army of Two," Steve and Natasha said together.

"Ah, yes. Your sacred marriage vow to fight side by side until death do you part," Thor recalled "That was my favorite part of the wedding. I cried."

_THOOM!_

Thor's eyes widened as the Black Panther came crashing down in front of him, causing a massive sonic wave that sent the surrounding aliens flying. "Who is this?"

"Our new friend. Thor, meet T'Challa," Steve introduced "King of Wakanda. T'Challa, this is Thor, prince of Asgard."

"King of Asgard," the god of thunder corrected as he shook the Black Panther's hand "Pleasure to meet to meet you, your majesty."

"The honor is all mine, your majesty. Come, let us show Thanos how kings do battle. WAKANDA FOREVER!" T'Challa shouted, slashing his way through the Mad Titan's army.

"Oh, I like this one," Thor said with a smile, "He and I are going to be very good friends. Tell me more about my nephew," the king of Asgard requested, slicing his way through Thanos' army "Is he walking? Is he talking? Has he learned to say my name yet?"

"Yes to the walking," Steve answered, ducking under one of the blows from the Chitauri, right before he slammed his fist into its face "Talking is still a work in progress."

"Thor!" A familiar voice called out as the Hulkbuster came barreling into view "You're alive!"

"Banner! You're alive!" The thunder god repeated in an ecstatic tone "Why are you dressed like Stark? We're uncles!"

"I know! He's so cute! I couldn't get the Hulk to come out after I made it back to Earth," Bruce explained "so I borrowed one of Tony's suits.

"Oh, it's just like old times," Thor chuckled "Where are Stark and Barton? Together, we shall bring Thanos to his knees."

A somber wave washed over the original Avengers at the mention of Iron Man. "Tony, Tony found me after I made it back to Earth," Bruce explained "Thanos' men followed me here and,"

"They killed Stark." Thor's shocked expression quickly shifted to one of sorrow as massive rain clouds formed overhead. "They killed Stark?" The king of Asgard blinked slowly as he kept his tears at bay, his voice coming out as a menacing growl as thunder rumbled overhead "They killed Stark!"

Bruce knew what came next. "Everybody get back!"

Thor let out a rage-filled shout as he slammed Stormbreaker into the ground, causing a massive bolt of lightning to strike the ground and send the alien dogs flying as a heavy rain began to fall, the Wakandan sky now perfect mirror of the thunder god's rage and grief.

"THANOS!" he bellowed, marching across the battlefield with bolts of lightning leaping off his body, striking down every Chituari that crossed his path "Show yourself! You claim to be a titan, then come out here and face the full might of THE KING OF THE GODS!"

Thor's answer came in the form of three ships coming into view from the atmosphere, each carrying at least a hundred more alien troops.

"Still hiding behind your dogs, Thanos? So be it. I'll show them the same courtesy you showed my people," the thunder god declared as he rose into the air "No mercy. FOR THE GLORY OF ASGARD!" Thor shouted as he rocketed across the sky, zooming straight towards the one of ships.

_BOOM!_

The ground shook as massive bolt of lighting vaporized the ship, knocking the other ships off kilter as it turned into nothing but ash and smoke.

"I think we might actually pull this off," Natasha commented, right before three giant war machines burrowed their way out from under the ground.

Steve sighed. "You had to jinx it."

* * *

"Wa-Wa!" James cried as the red-headed woman set back in his playpen, his face red and covered with tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry sweetie," she repeated truthfully "But I have to go." Wanda felt her heart twist up knots as she crafted a tiny wisp of scarlet light, wrapping it around the baby's face and placing him in a gentle sleep. If Natasha ever found out that this was how she always got James to bed so fast, Wanda was in serious trouble. "You two," the second female Avenger spoke in a surprisingly authoritative voice as she address a pair of the Dora Milaje "I should be back before he wakes up. But if I'm not, there's food and diapers in his bag. Three puffs of baby powder," she emphasized "not two. If he cries, tell him a story. _Jack and the Beanstalk _is his favorite. And if anything happens to him, you will answer to me," Wanda promised "and his mother."

"Wanda," Vision craned his neck on the table as he watched his soulmate march towards the door "Where are you going?"

"To make that baby doesn't become an orphan."

* * *

"Why was she up there all this time?" Okoye stared at Wanda in disbelief as she helped Natasha to her feet, having just watched the second female Avenger tear Thanos' war machines apart with a single strike.

"Wanda," Natasha gave her friend a deadly glare as she asked "Who is watching my baby?"

* * *

James Rogers lay fast asleep with the Iron Man helmet in his crib, unaware of the two Chitauri dogs creeping into the room behind him, their teeth dripping with the blood of the recently killed Dora MIlaje.

That's when the helmet spoke. _"Warning. Alien threat detected," _the digital voice of FRIDAY announced _"Activating defensive countermeasures."_

James brought an unconscious thumb to his mouth as the helmet rose into the air, firing two miniature repulsed blasts from its eye slits into the Chitauri, killing each of them with one shot.

_"Threat neutralized."_

The helmet shut itself off and dropped back into the playpen, rolling across the matted floor and into James' reach, the baby rolling over and pulling it close as he continued to dream.

* * *

"Where'd he go? Thor," Steve Rogers stood on the war torn battlefield of Wakanda, having just watched the Mad Titan Thanos disappeared after taking an axe to the chest. "Where'd he go?"

"Steve?"

The first Avenger felt his heart stop as he watched Bucky Barnes to the dust before his eyes, leaving nothing but his rifle behind.

"Natasha!" Steve ran across the field as fast as he could, desperate to get find his soulmate before the inevitable happened, his heart filling with more and more dread as he watched his friends and allies turn to dust: Sam, the tree, T'Challa, Wanda. "NATASHA!"

"Steve!"

The man once known as Captain America felt his heart finally beat again as he found his wife standing alone in the field, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "You're here," he whispered, "You're still here."

"We're both here," Natasha answered, placing her husband's hand on her stomach.

That's when they remembered. "The baby."

* * *

Steve and Natasha ran back into the Wakandan castle as fast as they could, watching countless people turn to dust as they made their way into Shuri's lab, desperate to find their son.

They heard him before they saw him. The sounds of a baby crying, deep within the lab. Natahsa's heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw the two Chitauri lying on the floor, only to let out a sigh of relief when she saw her child bawling in his crib without a scratch.

"James." The Black Widow let out a sigh of relief as she took her child into her arms, gently bouncing him up and down as she tried to soothe him. "Mama's here. Mama's here, baby. Don't cry. Mama and Daddy are here. Don't cry," she repeated, with tears running down her cheeks "Don't cry. Everything's going to be alright."

"Wa-Wa."

"Wanda's not coming back baby," Natasha answered as her grief nearly consumed her "She and Vision are in a better place now. Where the monsters can't hurt them anymore. But it's okay. We're going to be okay," The Black Widow choked back a sob as she pressed a kiss on her baby's head "We have everything we need."

Steve stayed silent as he held his family close, his eyes locked on the red and gold helmet in James' crib, grateful beyond words for Tony Stark's watchful eye from beyond the grave.


End file.
